Joseph higham



(No Model.)

-J. HIGHAM. GLU'I'GH FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Patented Aug. 17, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HIGHAM, OF VVIGAN, ENGLAND.

CLUTCH FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,275, dated August17, 1897. Application filed April 20, 1897. Serial No. 632,985. (Nomodel.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HIGHAM, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Wigan, in the county of Lancaster, England,

ing it from revolving in a backward direc tion, this backward movementbeing so liable to cause damage, more or less, to the needle, thread,and fabric. a

The invention will be understood from the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1shows my invention, partly in section, applied to the balance-wheel andactuating-shaft of a sewing-machine; Figs. 2 and 3, detail views of myinvention separated from the wheel, Fig. 2 being an obverse view of mydevice and Fig. 3 the reverse view thereof, but with the hand-wheel Fremoved.

In the figures, a is the balance-wheel,mount ed loosely on theneedle-actuating shaft 1),

the shaft.

D is a disk, and C a sleeve mounted on the shaft 1). One end of thissleeve 0 and the end of the boss of the disk D abutagainst the wheelA.

E is a cam also loosely niounted'on the sleeve 0 against the face of thedisk D, and

F a small hand-wheel or disk for turning the cam, the cam and hand-wheelbeing coupled together by a pin V.

' G is a friction-washer, and H a recessed steel collar on the outer endof the sleeve 0, all being secured by the nut I.

J and K are two curved links pivoted to the disk D and to the link L,which latter is pivoted to the balance-wheel a at M. The

'tionary.

formed as a pawl to engage with the teeth of the wheel A.

P is a check-pin secured to the curved link K and projecting through thesegmental slot T in the disk D into the path of the cam E.

In action when the wheel a, is turned in the direction of the left-handarrow N the pawl L will engage the teeth in the wheel A, which, beingkeyed to the shaft 1), causes the latter to rotate; but when the saidwheel is rotated in the direction of the left-hand arrow 0 the pawl israised clear out of engagement from the teeth, and the Wheel a, beingloose on the shaft, will revolve without actuating the shaft at all.That is to say, when the wheel a is revolved in the forward directionthe combined action of the links J, K, and L and the disk D is such asto insure a perfect grip on the wheel A to revolve the shaft, while whenrevolving in the backward direction the engaging point of the link L israised just clear of the teeth of the wheel A, and the link K is-alsoraised until'it-s check-pin P arrives at the outward end of itssegmental slot T in the disk, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thus whileall the links J, K, and L and disk D arerevolved in the backwarddirection the shaft 19 itself remains at rest.

The. machine is pdt permanently out of gear for bobbin or spool windingby rotating the cam E by turning the wheel F until the abutment Q comesagainst the pin P, and thus holds the pin permanently raised, whichprevents the link L from engaging the teeth in the wheel A. The wheel acan then be freely rotated, while the shaft remains sta- It is put intogear again by rotating the cam E in the opposite direction until theabutment R arrives at the stop-pin S. The link L is then free to engagethe teeth in the wheel A, when the wheel a is revolved in the forwarddirection N. The cam E may be provided with a spring so arranged as toenable it to look in the disk D at each end of its stroke-namely, whenits shoulder R abuts against the pin S or when its other shoulder Qabuts against the pin P, thus retaining the cam in either of itsrequired positions when the machine is in motion.

I declare that what I claim is 1. In a sewing-machine, a balance wheelor pulley mounted loosely on the actuating shaft, a ratchet-wheel keyedto the said shaft and a link or pawl L pivoted to the balance wheel orpulley, in combination with a disk mounted loosely on the shaft, linkspivoted thereto and to the link L in such a manner that the pawl willonly engage the ratchetwheel and drive the shaft one way substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a sewing-machine, a balance-wheel mounted loosely on theactuating-shaft, a ratchet-Wheel keyed to the said shaft andratchet-links L J K having pin P, in combination with a cam E withsuitable handle capable when turned of pushing pin 1 aside and holdingthe ratchet-link L out of gear with the ratchet-wheel until such time asthe cam is reversed substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH IIIGIIAM.

\Vitnesses:

G. C. Drnoxn, W. II. BEEsToN.

